Reps propose 5-year term for CJN, others, Supreme Court decentralisation - Newstrends
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Reps propose 5-year term for CJN, others, Supreme Court decentralisation

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Reps propose 5-year term for CJN, others, Supreme Court decentralisation

The House of Representatives has introduced a bill seeking a five year tenure for the Chief Jusitice of Nigeria (CJN), President of the Court of Appeal.

Others to be affected by the bill, if passed into law, include the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, President of the National Industrial Court, Chief Judges in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Grand Khadi of a Sharia Court of Appeal and President of Customary Court of Appeal.

The proposed legislation, which is part of the constitution alteration bills being considered by the House Committee on Constitution Review, is sponsored by the member representing Darazo/ Ganjuwa federal constituency of Bauchi, Manu Soro.

It is  titled: “A bill for an act to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to provide for tenured appointment of heads of courts at both the Federal and State judiciary,” (HB 1701).

Specifically, the bill is seeking the alteration of Section 29 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to include a new subsection.

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The proposed subsection stipulates that “any judicial officer appointed as Chief Justice of Nigeria, President of the Court of Appeal, Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, President of the National Industrial Court, Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Chief Judge of State, Grand-Khadi of Sharia Court of Appeal or President of Customary Court of Appeal of a State shall serve for a five-year non-renewable term and return to their previous role as judges or shall retire if retirement age is attained –whichever comes first–”

The bill, according to its explanatory memorandum, is geared towards enhancing “service efficiency and motivation of officers, and to address overstay of heads of courts.”

Similarly, the House has introduced a bill seeking to create five divisions of the Supreme Court, across the country, in addition to the headquarters, in Abuja. Abuja is also expected to cater for the North Central geo-political zone.

The bill, which is also sponsored by Soro, has as its title, “A bill for Act to amend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to provide for the establishment of five divisions of the Supreme Court of Nigeria; to enhance access to the highest justice, to minimize the logistical cost of accessing justice and to ensure timely dispensation of matters brought before the apex court.” ( HB1731).

The proposed legislation, obtained by Daily Sun, is seeking the alteration of Section 230(1) of the 1999 Constitution ( as amended) for division of the Supreme Court to be located in Umuahia for the South East, Bauchi for the North East, and Uyo for the South South.

According to the bill, which has scaled the first reading, Lagos and Kano shall host the divisions of the apex court in the South West and North West respectively.

The proposed legislation, in its explanatory memorandum, states that the objective is “to bring access to highest justice closer to the people, to minimize the logistical cost incurred by litigants in accessing justice and to ensure timely dispensation of matters brought before the Supreme Court.”

Reps propose 5-year term for CJN, others, Supreme Court decentralisation

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Kaduna APC Calls for Probe Into Alleged Attacks, Vandalism

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Osun 2026: APC Inaugurates 292-Member Campaign Council, Declares Victory a Must
Kaduna APC Calls for Probe Into Alleged Attacks, Vandalism

The Kaduna State chapter of the APC has appealed for calm after reporting alleged attacks, vandalism and intimidation involving its members and party-related facilities.

The party wants the police and other security agencies to determine what happened and identify those responsible for any offences established by the evidence.

APC Publicity Secretary Sani Dan Azare said vehicles were allegedly damaged during an incident at party premises, while some members and supporters were reportedly assaulted or intimidated elsewhere in the state.

Rather than draw conclusions from the competing claims, the party asked security agencies to examine all credible leads and evidence before taking action.

The appeal comes as political activities intensify in Kaduna ahead of the 2027 elections. The state has already recorded a separate dispute involving ADC supporters and security operatives during a campaign-related walk, with the parties giving different accounts of the confrontation.

The APC said such incidents should not undermine what it described as progress made in reducing political, ethnic and religious tensions in the state.

It therefore urged political parties, candidates and supporters to conduct their activities peacefully and within the law.

Dan Azare also asked APC members and support groups to avoid retaliation, warning against any form of self-help.

Let the facts be established. Let due process prevail. Let the law take its course” the party said.

The APC added that anyone with relevant information should make it available to security agencies to help establish what happened and determine whether anyone should face legal action.

 

Kaduna APC Calls for Probe Into Alleged Attacks, Vandalism

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Fatal NURTW Leadership Clash in Osun Leaves Two Dead; State Orders Park Shut Down

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Fatal NURTW Leadership Clash in Osun Leaves Two Dead; State Orders Park Shut Down

As Olalekan Oyeyemi is buried in Osogbo, authorities transfer murder probe to the State Criminal Investigation Department.

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Lagos Power Outage: Ikeja Electric Blames TCN as Businesses, Homes Groan

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Lagos Power Outage: Ikeja Electric Blames TCN as Businesses, Homes Groan

Lagos Power Outage: Ikeja Electric Blames TCN as Businesses, Homes Groan

Residents and businesses in several parts of Lagos are enduring prolonged power outages, with Ikeja Electric attributing the disruption to significant constraints on the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) network.

The development has triggered frustration among electricity consumers who say the prolonged blackout is disrupting household activities and commercial operations, while increasing their dependence on generators and other alternative sources of power.

Ikeja Electric, one of Nigeria’s largest electricity distribution companies, said the situation was caused by a reduction in the amount of electricity available to it from the transmission network.

According to the company, the transmission constraints have affected the volume of power it can distribute to customers across parts of its franchise area, resulting in extended periods of load-shedding.

The company said it was engaging with TCN over the situation and was working to improve supply to affected communities as soon as additional transmission capacity becomes available.

The latest disruption has affected customers in several parts of Lagos, with residents in areas including Akoka, Egbeda, Ojodu Berger, Ogudu and Shomolu reporting prolonged interruptions.

Some residents said electricity supply had been unavailable for several consecutive days, while others reported intermittent restoration followed by further outages.

The disruption has also affected small businesses and households that rely heavily on electricity for daily activities.

Business operators such as barbers, hairdressers, food vendors, cold-room operators, charging-centre owners, internet-dependent businesses and other small enterprises have been particularly affected by the unreliable supply.

For many households, prolonged outages have also affected refrigeration, water pumping, phone charging, internet access and other basic activities that depend on electricity.

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The situation has forced some residents and businesses to increase their use of generators, adding to operating costs at a time when fuel and other energy expenses remain high.

Some consumers have also resorted to commercial charging centres and other paid alternatives to keep phones, rechargeable devices and business equipment operational.

The latest disruption comes amid continuing challenges across Nigeria’s electricity value chain, where problems involving generation, gas supply, transmission infrastructure and distribution networks can affect electricity availability to consumers.

TCN operates the country’s transmission network, while electricity distribution companies such as Ikeja Electric are responsible for delivering available power to customers through their distribution networks.

This distinction is significant in the latest Lagos outage because Ikeja Electric has attributed the immediate supply shortfall to constraints on the transmission network, rather than announcing a fault affecting its entire distribution system.

Power interruptions in Lagos, however, have previously resulted from different causes.

Parts of the state have experienced outages linked to distribution equipment faults, infrastructure damage, planned maintenance and other incidents affecting electricity infrastructure.

Earlier disruptions in Lagos have also been associated with incidents such as tanker fires damaging electricity infrastructure, while transmission maintenance and constraints have caused supply reductions in other instances.

The varying causes mean that the duration and geographical spread of an outage can differ significantly from one community or electricity feeder to another.

Ikeja Electric has apologised to affected customers over the latest disruption and said it understands the difficulties caused by the reduced supply.

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The company said it was monitoring developments and engaging relevant stakeholders in an effort to restore improved electricity supply.

The latest development has again highlighted concerns over the vulnerability of Lagos residents and businesses to fluctuations in electricity supply.

For many small businesses, prolonged blackouts mean additional spending on diesel or petrol-powered generators, while households face similar costs when alternative electricity sources are required.

The disruption also comes at a time when businesses are already dealing with high operating costs, making extended reliance on generators an additional financial burden.

Consumers have increasingly called for more reliable electricity supply and better coordination among the different operators in Nigeria’s power sector.

The TCN, generation companies and distribution companies form interconnected parts of the electricity supply chain, meaning a constraint at one stage can quickly affect consumers downstream.

For Ikeja Electric customers, the immediate expectation is that transmission constraints will ease and supply will gradually improve across the affected feeders.

Until then, residents and businesses in the affected areas may continue to experience irregular electricity supply depending on available transmission capacity and the operational condition of individual distribution feeders.

The latest outage has therefore renewed the debate over Nigeria’s long-standing electricity challenges and the need for sustained investment in power generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure to provide more stable electricity for homes and businesses.

For Lagos, where thousands of businesses depend on electricity for daily operations, prolonged outages carry consequences beyond inconvenience, affecting productivity, household welfare and the cost of doing business.

Ikeja Electric said it would continue to provide updates as the situation develops and work with TCN to improve supply to affected customers.

Lagos Power Outage: Ikeja Electric Blames TCN as Businesses, Homes Groan

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